Spring cushion unit



May 23, 1933. Ml RYMLAND LQIZ@ SPRING CUSHION UNIT Filed Dec. 7, 1931 Patented May 23, 1933 Letale-e MURRAY J. RYMLANEOF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND SPRING. CUSHON UNIT Application led December The invention relates to spring cushion constructions for use in Vupholstered furniture, mattresses. automobile seats and other desirable and related installations.

More specifically lthe improved spring construction is of a character where each coil spring is housed within its individual compartment or chamber within the fabric or other walls of the spring cusliion unit and the object of the invention primarily is to obtain greater life and durability of the structure as a whole, as Well as obtaining material economies in manufacture.

The spring cushion construction and assembly contemplated by thc invention is of a simple and yet efficient nature and is designated to obtain more convenience and facility in the insertion of the spring units, and the invent-ion further provides insurance against wear and deterioration of the compartnient walls at the localities where such wear is most likely to occur.

A still further object is to Vafford morek play and movement to each individual spring7 at the same time insuring against its displacement from its individual compartment and contact with any adjacent spring of the cushion unit.

A still further 'object is to provide a spring cushion unit in which the building up of the various partitions forming the spring compartments is facilitated in that the eX-A act location of certain of these partition walls may be readily determined by the stitching which secures other Walls of said compartments to the unit.

A further object is to provide material economies in the utilization of strips of fabric material which would otherwise be discarded as waste in the manufacture of spring cushion units. A

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing-discloses a preferred 'embodiment thereof.

In said drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the spring cushion unit constituting a preferred em- 7, 1931. serial No. 579.616.

bodiment of my invention, a cornerrof said unit being cut away to illustrate the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional vievv on line k2 2 of Fig. 3. Y

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the spring unit, a portion of the cover fabric being cut away to show the interior construction.

F ig. et is a perspective view of one ofthe fabric strips constituting an important part of my invention.r

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of yone of the longitudinal fabric strips detached.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the vertically disposed crosswise. strips, a plurality of which are adapted to be secured to the strip member shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, a spring cushion unit of substantially square construction has been Villustrated but it will be understood that the size and configuration of theunit may be varied vWithout departing from the nature and scope of the invention. As illustrated the spring unit comprises a' singley Vpiece of cloth or other fabric l which may be folded and stitched to enclose any desired number of spring units. Said fabric 'l is folded as at 2 to vform an upper coverwall 3 and a lower or bottom Wall 4,' said walls having integrally dovvnturned and upturned side Wall portions 3a and 4a respectively the extremities of said side Walls being lapped together and suitably stitched or otherwise secured together as indicated at 5. When the assembly is complete the said coverand bottom portions are bent downwardlyand upwardlyat their ends as indicated at 3b and 4b respectively lto form end- Walls'the extremities of which are suitablystitched or n otherwise secured together as shown at 6a.

I have provided a plurality of longitudinal partition strips 6 which may be formed of strips Vof fabric ofl relativelyv narrow `width and which would otherwise be discarded as waste material inthe manufacturey 9 `of spring unit constructions as heretofore produced. Each strip 6 is or may be/of a lengthV commensurate with one dimension' of the spring unit to be constructed and is provided at spaced intervals alongy its extent ion unit.

with a plurality of angularly extending or vertically disposed cross-wise stiip members 7. The members 7 correspond to and seive to form opposite walls of aligned spring compartments in the completed cushion unit and each cross-wise strip 7 is positioned on the strip member 6 so as to be in line with the center of each spring compartment. Said members 7 are suitably stitched oi otherwise secured to the member 6 as shown at 8 to form a double thickness of fabric at this point (Fig. 4).

After the sheet of fabric 1 is doubled on itself to form the upper and lower walls of the cushion unit the strip members 6 with the strips 7 secured thereto, are positioned between said upper and lower walls and stitched in position to said walls by means of the flanged upper and lower extremities 9, 9a of the strips 7. The said strip members 6 are positioned in predetermined spaced relation according to the size of the spring units to be inserted as best seen in Fig. 3. After the required number of strips 6 have been secured in position as described to the upper and lower walls of the fabric, a plurality of angularly disposed intermediate strips 10, each having upper and lower flanged extremities 11 and 11a, are stitched or otherwise secured in position to the upper and lower walls of the fabric to complete the individual spring compartments. The described angularly disposed strip members l0' may also be formed of material which would otherwise be discarded and may be of substantially the same size as the strips 7.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the arrangement of the longitudinal and intermediate strips 6 and 10 as described provides a plurality of adjacent spring compartments between the confining walls of the fabric 1, as best seen in Fig. 3. One side of the unit, comprising upper and' lower walls 3b, 4b may then be drawn together and stitched at 6a as described, and as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. In the same manner the end wall consisting of the fabric parts 3a and 4a may be similarly drawn together and stitched to -complete three sides ofthe cush- The individual coil springs, shown at 12, are next inserted iii position in their respective individual compartments through the uncompleted side wall of the cushion, for

,examplev that shown at the right hand of Fig. 3. For this purpose' a suitable spring inserting tool of usual or preferred construction is employed, each horizontal row of springs (Fig. 3)' being positioned on said tool for insertion into the unit. The springs are compressed in the` usual manner in. spaced relation on the tool, thereby permitting the same to clear the spaced partition wall sections formed by the intermediate vfabric strips 10. The tool is then turned, at

right angles and the springs are released to position each spring in its individual compartmeiit formed by the described strips 6, 7 and 10.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the continuous longitudinal strip 6 serves as a guide for the insertion of the usual tool containing the springs in positioning each row of spring units. be of the desired resiliency to provide the proper degree of compression to the completed unit when the springs are released. After all of the springs have been inserted in position the open side wall of the unit is drawn together and stitched along the line 5 to complete the assembly.

The arrangement of each strip 6 with its spaced cross-wise strip members 7 provides a. double thickness of material on opposite walls of Veach spring compartment to reinforce said walls and resist the wearing tendency of the spring units during the life of the article.

It will be further apparent that by my improved manner of constructing the cushion unit, the space lines of stitching 13 (Fig. 3) securing cross-wise strips 7 to the upper and ylower walls 3 and it serve as guides to determine the proper location and position of the intermediate strips 7 which are later sewed i in position. Since the cross-wise strips 7 form with the longitudinal strip 6 opposite, wallslofv each compartment, the proper location of the intermediate Strips 10, disposed at right angles to the stitching of strips 7 and between said rows, may be readily determined. This promotes and eX- pedites the construction of the cushion units by the workman or operator.

WVliat is claimed is:`

1. In a spring cushion unit, the combination of a housing of fabric, a plurality of spring members arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows therein, a plurality of longitudinal fabric strips spaced apart and disposedin .parallel relation within said housing to deine the location of said rows `of springs, each ,of said longitudinal strips having attached thereto vertical crosswise strips having their ends secured to the upper and lower walls of said housingandvertical intermediate strips arranged between said longitudinal strips' and between the springs secured to the upper and lower vwalls of said housing, all of said strips di Vvidiiig the interior of the housing into separate compartments one for each spring and resisting the expansion of said springs and holding them in place and from horizontal movement relative to each other.

2. In a spring cushion unit, the combination of a housing of fabric, a plurality of spring members arrangedtin longitudinal and transverse rows therein, a plurality of longitudinal fabric strips spaced apart and disposed in parallel relationy within said The latter mayv housing to define the location of rows of said springs, each of said longitudinal strips having attached thereto vertical crosswise strips to form a double thickness of fabric on two Sides of each compartment, the ends of said crosswise strips being secured to the upper and lower walls of said housing, and vertical intermediate strips arranged between said longitudinal strips and between the springs lo of each row, the ends of said intermediate strips being secured to the upper and lower walls of said housing, all of said strips dividing the interior of the housing into separate compartments one for each spring, whereby the said double thickness of fabric resists the wearing tendency of said springs during expansion and contraction.

3. In a spring cushion unit, the combination of a housing of fabric having Compartments for springs, a plurality of springs arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows and individua. ly disposed in said compartments, said compartments being formed by placing within the housing a series of vertical strips one between the springs of each pair of springs in adjacent longitudinal rows said strips having their opposite ends secured to the upper and lower walls of said housing, and means connecting with each other the middle portions of said vertical strips, thereby forming a double wearing thickness between corresponding springs of adjacent longitudinal rows to resist the wearing tendency of the springs.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

MURRAY J. RYMLAND. 

